Why battery system cyber-physical security matters

Battery system cyber-physical security matters

Energy storage has been held up as a panacea for renewable energy and grid modernization woes. There is a widely held belief that the challenges with energy infrastructure and grid modernization disappear with the availability of affordable energy storage. Battery systems are the front-runners in the grid-scale energy storage race. Yet, in the mad rush to address a multibillion dollar opportunity, comparatively little attention has been paid to the fact that these systems are intended for an energy infrastructure market under increased physical and cyber threat. Unless this reality is addressed, in the form of secure and reliable hardware, battery systems will be relegated to demonstration projects instead of providing the much needed resiliency and services required by 21st century energy infrastructure.

The small penetration of advanced battery systems into critical infrastructure presents an opportunity for improvement. Meanwhile, careful evaluation by battery system developers and customers means we need to ask:

1) What are the key considerations for secure battery system designs?

2) How best to assess battery systems from a security standpoint?

3) How can we assure new vulnerabilities are avoided when integrating battery systems with other resources and loads?

We are looking forward to CyberSummer here at Electroferocious, when we will dive into a discussion meant to highlight and address these concerns.